A Chronicle Of Feudal Japan
by yumi michiyo
Summary: A collection of short stories about characters in the Inuyasha universe written for prompts for various Livejournal communities.
1. His Reward

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. I don't own Inuyasha. Happy? Consider all stories in this collection disclaimed.

**Author's Note: **Written for the **_iy_blind_** 'Kiss' theme. [Second Place]

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With a grunt, Miroku drove the head of his shakujou through the skull of the bat demon foolish enough to come at him. Once it was dead, he found himself keenly aware of a gap beside him.

"Sango!"

Miroku whirled around, fending off another strike as he spun. He was alone, surrounded by the enemy; she was no longer at his side.

The monk frantically scanned the battlefield for any sign of her. To his left was Inuyasha, finishing off a handful of bat demons with his Wind Scar, a little off his right was Kagome and Shippou, holding their own with their purifying arrows and foxfire. No Sango.

There! A blur had passed through the corner of his field of vision. She was astride Kirara, Hiraikotsu in hand, galloping back towards him. In spite of the battle raging around him, Miroku's body relaxed the instant he saw her.

"Houshi-sama!" She hurled her weapon… at him? Miroku dodged it, his eyes wide with shock and surprise, and then sudden understanding as the demon behind him fell, cleaved in two. He had not even felt its presence.

The monk made to call out his thanks but the words died in his throat; in Sango's haste to destroy the threat to his life, she did not sense the another demon behind her. A set of claws descended towards her back, just as she turned her head, realizing the danger too late to stop it. Miroku sprinted forward, his brain calculating options at breakneck speed. He reached his decision a split second later and acted on it.

Bracing herself, Sango tightened her muscles to lessen the impact.

It never came.

Miroku had dived forward, seizing her around the waist, knocking her off Kirara's back. The slayer cried out as she watched the demon's claws tear into the monk's back, sending out a spurt of blood. He grunted from somewhere above her hip as they crashed to the ground some distance away, so forceful was Miroku's leap.

"Miroku!" Inuyasha appeared out of nowhere, dispatching the demon with a swing.

"Houshi-sama!" She wriggled out of his arms, kneeling over his prone form. The wound itself was barely visible against his black robes but blood pumped out steadily, indicating its whereabouts.

Miroku made a muffled sound and tried to prop himself up on his elbows. "Houshi-sama, don't move!" commanded Sango, gently but firmly holding him down by the back of his neck. He sensed the panic in her voice and decided to lie still for the time being. Strangely, although he knew the wound was bad, it did not pain him very much. Once he was certain the slayer had calmed down somewhat not to slam his face back into the dirt the second he moved, Miroku turned his face sideways, resting one cheek on the soil.

A pattering of feet and he found himself face-to-face with Kagome's brown shoes. "Miroku! Sango, what happened?" She shifted out of his field of vision and the monk was dimly aware of light hands on his back.

"Miroku? Are you in pain?" Kagome's surprised voice broke into his thoughts, evidently puzzled by his lack of reaction.

"Not really, for some reason," he answered the best he could. "Do you have any idea why?"

"Uh oh… that's not good," she muttered, then raising her voice. "Miroku, get ready. The pain's going to kick in – "

Lightning bolts of excruciating pain lanced through Miroku's body and his hands dug into the ground. "AAAAARRRRGGGGGGHHH!" After that single scream of prolonged agony, Miroku passed out.

"– any moment," finished Kagome rather unnecessarily. Exchanging worried glances with Sango, the two girls immediately set about moving the unconscious man to a safe place. Miroku's eyes fluttered open when they shifted him onto a mat and began cleaning his wound.

"Here, you might need this." Kagome placed a rag between his teeth. A second later, Miroku bit down hard as the stinging antiseptic touched his raw flesh.

Sango bit her lip, watching his body alternately stiffen and relax. She knew they had no choice: the wound was deep and Kagome had to reach all the way in, disinfecting every single inch of the injury. Mercifully, Miroku lost consciousness halfway through.

That night, a pale-faced Miroku insisted on getting out of bed and looking for Sango. He was only forced back in by her repeated assurances she was unharmed. Her eyes followed him guiltily, regretful he was always protecting her, risking his life for hers.

The next morning, after a sleepless night, Sango approached Miroku timidly just before the group were about to set out on their quest again.

"Houshi-sama… may I speak with you in private?" Without waiting for his answer, she blushed and walked into the forest. Miroku followed her rather bemusedly.

"Thank you, Houshi-sama, for saving me." Her hands clasped demurely before her, Sango stared down at the grass as she spoke.

"You don't need to thank me, Sango, I merely did what was right," he responded, a faint smile on his lips. Miroku guessed that then was not the time to do something perverted, although the temptation was there.

All coherent thought quickly vanished when a pair of lips covered his.

For a moment, Miroku thought he had died and gone to heaven – Sango was kissing him! – before he relaxed and enjoyed the sensation. It was a light and chaste closed-mouth kiss, the kind he had expected from his shy slayer.

As quickly as it had began, it ended. Sango drew away, blushing furiously and was gone, her hair swinging behind her.

Miroku stood there in a daze, his jaw hanging open, his mind still trying to comprehend what had just transpired. Eventually, a wide smile spread over his face. For a reward like that, he would gladly go to Sango's rescue time and again.


	2. Redemption

**Author's Note: **Written for the 'Run' prompt at _**iyissekiwa**_ [Third Place]

Kohaku ran hard, knees pumping, his breath catching in his throat. They were still after him, the saimyosho. They hovered menacingly overhead, keeping the boy in their sights until Naraku's minions could arrive.

The chain of his sickle clinked in his hand. Truth to be told, his pursuers were weak. Kohaku could have easily taken them out, young as he was.

But he could not.

Running away was so much easier. Just as he had run from his memories, his master…

His sister.

She appeared before him, deep sorrow etched into the lines of her face. Kohaku shook his head, willing her image to vanish but it persisted, filling his mind's eye.

His memories had returned, bringing with them overwhelming guilt and sorrow, the pain of killing his father and comrades, hurting Sango… Seeking blissful oblivion in forgetting the past had been only a temporary solution, a means of escaping his tainted soul.

It had achieved nothing. As a mindless zombie in the service of his master, Kohaku had committed more atrocities, deeds that had sickened and hardened his already corrupted heart. Breaking free to avenge himself and his people upon Naraku was his only way out. Now he ran to change his destiny.

One day, Kohaku would banish his demons and redeem his soul from the darkness. He would return to Sango's side, head held high.

It would be the day he would stop running at last.


	3. Nosebleeds

**Author's Note: **Written for the 'Fuku' provocation for _**inucomedyclub**_. [Second Place]

Miroku's eyes followed Kagome as she bustled around the campsite, preparing what Shippou called 'ninja food' for their dinner. It was still too soon for him to get used to that strange outfit she wore, although to say he disliked it was a lie.

If only his body, particularly his nose did not respond so fervently to her clothes. It seemed a miracle that no one else had noticed his copious nosebleeds so far, maybe because the group had been involved in so many fights.

Despite enjoying watching her top and skirt ride up every time she moved (Kagome was a Feudal Era pervert's heaven), the monk found himself wishing Kagome would not bend over as she worked. Otherwise, Miroku was certain he would die from severe blood loss. He was certain he was already a good couple of shades paler than he had been before meeting Kagome a few days before. It was lucky that the dark tones of his robes hid most of the blood from her.

Inuyasha, unfortunately, was blessed with a keen sense of smell.

He leaned over, ears twitching. "Miroku… are you injured? I smell blood, lots of it."

Beads of sweat popped out all over his skin. "No, I'm fine. It must be from the youkai we just killed."

"Nah. It's human. An' it seems to be all over you." The hanyou continued to regard him with a piercing golden stare, making Miroku shift nervously. "What's wrong with you, monk?"

"N – Nothing, Inuyasha. Nothing at all." Right from the beginning, Miroku had sensed there was a special bond between Inuyasha and Kagome. Which meant if he dared to make any advances on Kagome, Inuyasha would rip him from limb to limb. Keeping quiet, therefore, was his main hope of preventing his messy death at Inuyasha's claws.

Nevertheless, even when faced with such a fate, Miroku's eyes were glued to Kagome. To be precise, the edge of that tantalizingly short skirt. He was indeed a true pervert.

As she approached him, Miroku's hands clenched the knees of his robe, fighting to maintain control over himself. After exercising plenty of self-control, the monk could let Kagome go without groping her. The same could not be said for involuntary acts.

"Here, Inuyasha," Kagome smiled, bending over to hand the hanyou a steaming bowl.

All hell broke loose in an instant: Miroku clapping a hand to his streaming nose, Inuyasha drawing Tetsusaiga and screaming, "I'll kill you, lecher!", Kagome initially falling down in alarm and then shouting "Osuwari!" to prevent the untimely demise of the newest member to their group.

When everyone had calmed down, a fuming Inuyasha, now understanding why there was blood on Miroku's robes, sat himself between Miroku and Kagome. Despite the constant warning glares from the hanyou in the monk's direction, the conversation turned to Kagome's life.

"I see. You come from the future, Kagome-sama?" asked Miroku, simultaneously trying to wrap his brain around that idea and avoid looking directly at her.

"Yes, 500 years from now to be exact," she smiled. "I'm still a student in my time though – this is my school uniform or fuku – so every now and then I need to travel back to attend school."

"School? Uniform?"

"It's a place where boys and girls my age gather to receive an education. Everybody has to wear a uniform – "

It was probably the worst thing Kagome could have said as all hell broke loose again. Miroku, his mind gleefully picturing hundreds of girls wearing Kagome's clothes all in one place clutched his face again as blood streamed over his fingers.


	4. Eyes On Me

**Author's Note: **Written for **_iyfic_contest_** for the prompt 'Hypnosis'.

In the stillness of the night, Kagome found herself unable to fall asleep. All her friends had long since dozed off, even Inuyasha, exhausted after a tiring day dispatching troublesome demons. She had spent it on the sidelines, firing a sacred arrow now and then whenever the tide of battle turned against them. Perhaps that explained her insomnia.

Rather than lie in her sleeping bag and wait for sleep to claim her, the young girl slipped out, choosing to take a walk. Carefully stepping over the sleeping forms of Sango and Shippou, Kagome walked to the edge of the forest.

She had to be careful not to stray too far from the camp in case she was attacked. Kagome strolled through the silent trees, eventually reaching a clearing.

Finally she could be alone with her thoughts.

Kagome's complicated relationship with Inuyasha, already rocky to begin with, had deteriorated over the past week. He was furious with her for having to spend so much time in her era, taking her 'stupid tests'. She was angry with him for his constant barrage of rude remarks and his inability to sense her hurt over Kikyou. Matters had come to a head the previous day, culminating in a fight which had them both not speaking to one another.

It was primarily for this reason that Kagome had refrained from the day's battles, preferring not to let Inuyasha save her from danger like he always did.

Finding a convenient rock to sit on, she did so, resting her elbows on her knees and letting out a sigh of exasperation. Kagome began mulling over her troubled love life, expecting to find an answer to her dilemma.

Kagome certainly was not expecting Sesshoumaru to materialize out of the trees.

"S – Sesshoumaru!" she spluttered.

The Lord of the Western Lands regarded her coolly. "Miko."

He continued to stare at her as Kagome struggled to regain her composure.

"Uh… how can I help you, Sesshoumaru?"

Ignoring her question completely, he took a few steps forward until he stood directly in front of her. Kagome could not help herself. Overcome by curiosity, she looked up into his eyes and immediately wished she had not.

Sesshoumaru had unnervingly brilliant gold eyes, the same shade as his brother. The similarities ended there, however. Where Inuyasha's eyes were passionate and defiant, his older brother's were completely devoid of any emotion.

Despite a little warning voice in her head, Kagome found herself being drawn into those enigmatic eyes. A flush tinted her cheeks, evoked by the growing unease she felt from the demon lord's proximity. Even if the miko had wanted to, she could not have broken away from Sesshoumaru's gaze; she was completely hypnotized.

As quickly and mysteriously as he had approached her, Sesshoumaru backed away, turning on his heel and vanishing into the blackness.

Kagome was alone again, blushing furiously. He had succeeded in completely unnerving her, leaving her a mass of swirling emotions, something Inuyasha had never been able to accomplish.

_What was that all about?_ she wondered. Despite her better judgment, Kagome was intrigued by Sesshoumaru's odd behaviour.

She got to her feet, yawning; she felt tired all of a sudden. As Kagome settled in to catch some sleep, she belatedly realized that she had completely forgotten all about Inuyasha.


	5. Special Tea

**Author's Note: **Written for the 'Herbal Remedies' provocation at _**inucomedyclub**_.

I groaned softly under my breath. Already, I'd forgotten which herbs were which. Trying to hide my confusion from Kaede, who hovered at my elbow, I ran my hands through the dried green leaves.

"Is everything all right, child? Ye seem flustered."

I gulped. It made no sense to conceal anything from the elderly miko, it seemed on hindsight.

"Ah… Kaede-sama… I've forgotten the name of this." I held up a sprig of some plant with heart-shaped leaves: it looked vaguely familiar for some reason.

She sighed. "That is dokudami. We use it to purge toxins from the body."

"And this?"

"Gennoshouko. It is a powerful laxative. Be careful with that. If ye give the patient too much, well… let us say the consequences will not be pleasant."

I eyed the innocent-looking dried leaves warily. It looked quite pretty actually, with its small pink flowers and tiny hairs covering the plant.

Just then, Kaede got to her feet, pounding her shoulder. "Kagome, I have to leave for the next village now."

I jumped up obediently. "I'll pack the things."

"No." She placed a gentle hand on mine. "Stay and look after the village while I am gone."

"But my skills – "

" – are sufficient enough," Kaede completed, a smile lighting her creased face. "I will only be gone for a few days. What could happen?"

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In a supreme twist of irony which proved how the gods love to mock us, the instant Kaede had disappeared into the distance, Inuyasha approached me.

"Inuyasha?" His face was twisted in agony, one hand curled protectively around his stomach.

"Dammit, Kagome, my stomach…"

I caught hold of his arm, helping him to our hut. Every movement seemed to pain him even more but remarkably, my hanyou was tight-lipped.

"What happened, Inuyasha?" Scanning his body for any wounds, I was puzzled to find none.

"I… dunno," he grunted, his face ashy grey. "I was fine this morning…"

I heaved a sigh of exasperation. "Inuyasha, how many times have I told you not to eat strange food?"

"It's not strange food," came a familiar voice. Miroku stood in the doorway.

"Miroku-sama," I greeted him. "How would you know?"

"Because I'm suffering from the same pains." He joined us on the mat, a sickly pallor now evident on his face.

I frowned. "That's strange… Did you two eat the same thing?"

Miroku screwed his face up. "Yesterday… Inuyasha and I ate some food the villagers offered after an exorcism…"

"That would explain it. How did it look like?"

"It was… some kind of meat or something. We didn't really look. Hey, we were starving!" Seeing the expression on my face, he quickly interjected the last sentence.

"Okay, okay… do you feel anything else other than stomach pains?"

"No," the boys chorused.

"Hmm… seems like a simple case of food poisoning… dokudami!" I rummaged through my baskets of herbs.

"Ah!" I cried triumphantly, bringing out a small basket of dried green leaves. Working quickly, I brewed a generous handful of leaves into a strong tea.

Inuyasha and Miroku eyed the brew. "Are you absolutely sure about this, Kagome-sama?" asked Miroku as the pungent smell of the liquid began to fill the hut.

"I'm sure," I said brightly, handing them each a bowl of the dark green liquid. Grimacing, they drank it up in one gulp.

I leaned forward, smiling hopefully. "Well? How do you feel?"

Inuyasha blinked. "The pain's… gone?" He and Miroku visibly relaxed.

Just as I was busy congratulating myself, both boys sprang upright, identical looks of panic and agony on their features.

Without a word of explanation, they tore out the door, vanishing into the forest. Quelling a surge of worry, I picked up one of the leaves I had used to make the tea and examined it closely.

Small hairs covered the surface of the leaf. My heart plummeted.

_Oh shit… I just fed them a massive dose of gennoshouko… which is a laxative…_

Dread pooled in my gut as I wondered what Inuyasha and Miroku would do to me once they'd stopped… well. As it was right now, I didn't fancy explaining to Sango what I'd done to both our husbands.

I had a long way to go when it came to herbal remedies.


	6. Carry Me

**Author's Note: **Written for the 'Excuse' prompt at i**_yissekiwa_**. [Second Place]

Kagome muttered a curse under her breath: her bicycle was working fine. When she thought nobody was looking, she pretended that the wheel was out, lurching forward erratically.

"My bike's broken!' she wailed loudly for the benefit of the others. "Inuyasha, can you carry me?"

"Damn it, Kagome, that's the fourth time in the last two weeks!" he complained, although he obligingly squatted down for her to clamber on his back. "What did ya do to it!"

She ignored him, leaning forward on his back and resting her cheek against his mane of silver hair. Inuyasha's grumbling trailed off and after ensuring Kagome was settled comfortably, bounded off. Her plan was working smoothly.

"Inuyasha… can I play with your ears?" she asked after what seemed like an appropriate amount of time, making her voice as casual as possible.

"Keh. I suppose so," he answered. "Don't pull them." Suppressing a little squeal of joy, she took one ear in each hand.

They were so soft and silky, the two furry triangles that protruded from his silver hair. Grinning, she rubbed them in small circular motions between her thumb and fingers.

Unnoticed by the young girl, Inuyasha wore a similar grin. It had been easy for him to play along after he got over the deception; the truth was, Inuyasha enjoyed having Kagome play with his ears almost as much as she did.


	7. Embrace

**Author's Note: **Written for _**mirsan_fics**_ for the prompt 'Touch'.

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The demon slayer watched as Kagome rested her head against Inuyasha's chest, snuggled in his arms. A tinge of jealousy arose unbidden as Sango contemplated the look of contentment on her friends' faces, lost in their own thoughts.

_If only Miroku would touch me like that instead of his mindless groping…_

"What's on your mind, Sango?"

He had appeared at her side unexpectedly.

Guilt over her less than wholesome thoughts tinted her features. "Nothing," she mumbled, looking anywhere else but at him.

"Really?" Amused, the monk's gaze traveled from Sango's line of vision, following it to Inuyasha and Kagome, before returning to her face. His eyes crinkled into a smile, guessing what it was his Sango was thinking but Miroku wisely decided to play dumb.

He crouched down, tugging on her sleeve gently. "Let's give those two some privacy," said Miroku in a low voice. Blushing, Sango followed him some distance away and joined him under a nearby flowering cherry tree.

They said nothing for a while, admiring the cherry blossoms in the fading light of day. Sango glanced furtively at the monk, wondering whether she should voice her thoughts.

At length, she steeled herself, a delicate heat promptly rising in her cheeks.

"Houshi-sama?"

"Mmm?"

"Why do you keep groping me?" she asked bluntly.

Miroku clutched his right wrist dramatically in reply. "Ah, Sango, it's this cursed hand of mine…"

Before she could open her mouth to retort, she felt a familiar rubbing sensation on her butt. Growling, she whirled around, her hand connecting with Miroku's face, wiping away his gleeful smirk.

"Ouch!"

"Pervert."

The silence returned, to be broken unexpectedly by Sango a few minutes later.

"Houshi-sama… I actually like it when you touch me… when you're not being a pervert," she said shyly, a tinge of remorse for slapping him evident in her voice.

He sighed heavily, fingering his sore cheek.

_I can't believe I said that aloud! I said, to Miroku, of all people, that I enjoyed him touching me!_

Sango was so immersed in that fact, she totally missed the spark of mischief in his eye.

The next thing she knew, the world became a blur.

Miroku had wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his lap, planting a glancing kiss on her jaw as he did so.

"You should have said so earlier, my dearest Sango," he whispered, his hot breath tickling her skin, sending a shiver of anticipation down her spine. Miroku leaned his face against hers, smiling as he felt her snuggle into his chest. "I would be more than happy to… touch you elsewhere."

Sango bristled and tried to smack him but could not. There was no room to maneuver within the tight circle of Miroku's arms. Thwarted, she reluctantly abandoned her retaliation, pretending she did not see Miroku's triumphant smirk.


	8. Heaven Is Within Reach

**Author's Note: **Written for **_iyissekiwa_** for the 'Switch' prompt [First place]

* * *

Sango sat across Miroku with Kagome, that luscious ass well out of his reach. She glared at him when he caught her eye, apparently already anticipating his thoughts.

_Clever woman._

Miroku walked into the surrounding forest on the pretext of needing to relieve himself and doubled back, sneaking up behind where she sat.

The foliage separating them was too dense, allowing only one appendage at a time to poke through. He stared in dismay, mind calculating his options.

Eventually, the temptation of Sango's ass proved too great. It was the first time Miroku was working blind but if all went well, it would not be the last.

Inching stealthily closer so her slayer senses would not be alerted, he stuck his hand through the leaves and seized her ass in one swift movement, rubbing the firm flesh, an expression of rapture on his face –

– as a masculine voice cursed.

_Nani?_

A furious Inuyasha slashed the bush into tatters. "What the fuck… You perverted monk!" he yelled, a blush darkening his face. Miroku turned white as he faced the owner of the ass he had groped.

He heard a strange sound. Kagome, Sango and Shippou were doubled over, clutching their sides as they roared in laughter. Even Kirara looked amused. A grim look came over Miroku's face as he realized Sango and Inuyasha must have switched places while he was gone.

"Serves you right, you lecher," gasped Sango.

"My poor hand… I'm traumatized!" wailed Miroku.

"Me too," mumbled a scarlet Inuyasha.


	9. Nibble

Author's Note: Written for _**iy_fanfiction **for the 'Bite' prompt**.**_

* * *

Inuyasha settled down to his breakfast – a freshly grilled fish – with a contented grunt. As he held it up to his mouth, he was surprised to find someone had taken a huge bite out of the fish's belly.

"What the hell – "

He devoured it nonetheless. Just then, Kagome entered their hut, a basket of herbs under one arm. "Kagome, do you have anything else to eat?" he asked, his ears twitching hopefully.

"There's some pickles left over from last night…"

The hanyou seized the bowl eagerly to find the same strange phenomenon: each piece of pickle had a large chunk missing from it.

"Inuyasha?" His wife leaned closer, puzzled by the look of anger mixed with confusion on his face. Her eye rested on the half-eaten vegetables and she sighed.

"Shippou-chan! I know you're there, come here right now!"

There was a silence. Eventually, the little kitsune appeared in a puff of smoke. The giggles he was attempting to conceal died in his throat once he caught sight of Inuyasha's face.

In a flash, Inuyasha darted forward around Kagome and seized him by the scruff of his neck. "Ya little idiot, so you think that's funny, eh?" he roared, shaking Shippou hard.

"Yeow, leggo of me, Inuyasha! Kagome!" he wailed, flailing his arms and legs.

Kagome folded her arms. There was something dangerously close to sympathy in her eyes and Inuyasha knew it would not be long before she relented and made him let Shippou off without a good punishment. The hanyou took swift action.

"I'm gonna kill you, runt!" Inuyasha made to clout the cub over the head but blinded by a cloud of smoke. Coughing, he fanned away the fumes to find Shippou nowhere in sight. The distraction Kagome had unwittingly provided had allowed the kitsune to plan his escape.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha was more than furious. Shippou had gotten away, his eyes and nose were smarting badly from the fumes and his Kagome had been the cause of all this. He made his way to the futon, sitting down with his back to her to nurse his aching senses and sulk. The day was off to a bad start.

Inuyasha's entire body stiffened when he felt a soft hand against his neck. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha," said Kagome softly, kneeling in front of him. "Are you alright?" Her fingers caressed his face lovingly and he relented.

"Yeah, I'm fine." The smoke's effects were beginning to wear off and the hanyou felt almost back to normal.

The gentle look in Kagome's eyes suddenly changed into something devilish. "Cheer up, Inuyasha," she said, "I know a kind of bite you'll like."

Bending forward, she began nibbling his neck, sending his heart pounding. With a growl, he responded, kissing her passionately, his hands already tearing at her kimono.

It looked like it was going to be a good day after all.


	10. The Roaring Twenties

**Author's Note:** Written for **_iycaptions_** for 'Jump On The Bandwagon' by **Ayamegusa**.

* * *

Sango spun, her dress swirling around her legs. Miroku struck a pose on her left. He flashed his lopsided grin and offered her his hand. Sango smiled back, taking it and letting him twirl her.

Truth to be told, if anyone had told her she would here on the dance floor a week ago, Sango would have laughed in their face. A successful lawyer, her life was far too busy for any other activities outside the office.

Until that day.

Kagome, her best friend from high school and flat mate, had bounded home one Saturday evening while Sango was buried in paperwork and thrust a flyer in her face.

"What's this?" grumbled Sango, annoyed at being interrupted, her eyes crossing to read it. It was for a retro dance hall which was opening a few blocks down from their New York apartment.

"We have to go!" squealed Kagome enthusiastically. Sango stared back at her friend in complete astonishment, peering at her from over her sensible, black-framed glasses.

"Kagome, be serious. We don't know how to dance – " she squinted at the leaflet " – the Charleston or the Lindy Hop. In fact, we haven't danced since high school!"

"That's the beauty of it!" Kagome jabbed her finger midway down the leaflet. "They have free dance lessons if you come early! And look, 'All welcome, irrespective of prior dance experience'!"

"And what's all this 'we'?" demanded Sango. "You can go if you want, I'm too busy with my work to be _dancing_!" She spat out the last word with a great deal of disdain.

Kagome bounded onto the couch, grabbing Sango's arm and giving her a pleading, puppy-dog look. "Please?"

"Did you learn that from Inuyasha?" asked Sango weakly.

Kagome pouted. "As a matter of fact, yes. My _boyfriend _–" she stressed the word " – said he'll go if I go. Honestly, Sango, you need to get out more. Find a man, get laid!"

"Get laid?" Sango all but squeaked. "Kagome…!"

"Say yes!"

Sango sighed in defeat. "Oh, alright. Just once, mind you."

Beaming from ear to ear, her best friend got off the couch and flounced off to the bathroom. "So it's settled!" she said cheerfully. "We're going this Friday night, keep it free!"

Sango slumped back into her paperwork with a loud groan. She seemed incapable of saying 'no'.

_Somehow, I know I'm going to regret this._

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"Kagome, I'm never going to forgive you for this!" hissed Sango as she sat, arms folded, in the back of Inuyasha's car. Kagome laughed, poking her finger into her friend's side.

"Oh, come on Sango, we haven't even set foot in the place yet!"

Inuyasha smirked, his hand resting casually on the steering wheel. "If it's any consolation, Sango, ya look gorgeous."

She blushed. "Thanks."

The past few days had been humiliating. After trying to delay shopping for retro clothes with Kagome in the vain hope she would give up, Sango had been aghast when her friend marched into her office and dumped boxes all over her desk, much to the amusement of her clients.

Sango had protested when Kagome showed her the dress she had bought for her– the slits on the dress practically went up to her hips, for goodness' sake! – but a glare from Kagome had silenced her.

"It won't hurt to show some skin, Sango!" she cried in exasperation, staring meaningfully at the drab black pants suit Sango habitually wore.

"But this, this is verging on obscenity!" wailed the older girl, holding up the dress. "It's sleeveless, backless…"

Sango was slightly cheered up by the accessories that came with the dress; a pair of long black gloves and red sequined heels to match the dress.

She was jolted out of her thoughts by the car coming to a halt. "We're here," announced Inuyasha. "Ya girls ready?"

"Yes!" declared Kagome. "No!" squeaked Sango.

Inuyasha opened the door for them, offering his hand to Kagome to help her out. Sango couldn't help but to stare at how good they looked together: him in a white suit and fedora to match his long silver hair, her in a cerulean blue dress much like her own.

"Come on, Sango!"

She climbed out of the car awkwardly, unsteady on her new shoes. Together, they walked into the dance hall. A few people were milling around the dance floor as the band warmed up onstage.

A handsome young man wearing a dark purple suit and fedora appeared out of nowhere. "Hi, welcome to the Roaring Twenties," he smiled. "I'm Miroku, one of the dance instructors."

"Hello," muttered Sango, blushing deep red. He had vibrant, mischievous purple eyes which seemed to dance with life – most appropriately.

Kagome came up. "This is Sango, I'm Kagome and this is my boyfriend Inuyasha. We'd like to learn some dance moves."

"Ah, I see. Give me a moment…" He left, returning shortly with another man and a woman. "This is Kouga and Kikyou. Kouga, you'll dance with Kagome, and Kikyou, Inuyasha."

Kouga leered, immediately placing a hand on Kagome's hip. "What a pretty girl… let's cut a rug, sweetie."

"Get your hand off her, you wolf!" growled Inuyasha. Kagome placed a hand on his arm.

"It's okay, Inuyasha, really," she whispered. "I'll be fine."

The couples drifted off, leaving Sango with Miroku.

"Have you danced before?" he asked, putting one hand around her waist and taking her left hand in the other.

"… A long time ago. I – eeek!"

His hand had slipped down to her ass. Reflexively, she slapped him.

"You – you lecher!" snapped Sango, as red as her dress. He sighed.

"Sango, I apologize. I couldn't resist."

She growled and made to walk away but a hand caught her wrist. Sango turned to face his remorseful face and relented. _Why can't I ever say 'no'!_

"Okay, fine. But one more move like that…"

He smiled and began swaying in time to the music. "Thanks for giving me another chance. Now, if you have no dance experience, that's fine. Just relax." Miroku taught her the basic Lindy Hop step and as Sango got the hang of it, they quickened their pace. Laughing, she stepped back, in sync with him as the band played.

"I can't believe I'm actually dancing!" she shouted over the music.

"You're quite a good dancer, you know, so it wasn't that difficult," Miroku shouted back, a grin spreading over his face.

Much too soon, it was all over and Sango found herself reluctantly bidding her dance instructor good night.

"Do come back again soon," Miroku said, "the hall's open every night." There was something in his eyes which made her blush and look away.

As they left, Kagome turned to Sango, alight with excitement. "Omigosh, that was so much fun! Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Yeah, it wasn't too bad."

Inuyasha frowned. "That damn wolf couldn't keep staring at you all night, Kagome, it made me sick."

She giggled. "Well then, you'd better learn some moves so I don't have to dance with him any more. I wanna do those cool moves I saw, like that guy who back flipped over his partner…"

Sango let her ramble on, her mind wandering back to a certain purple-eyed, perverted dance instructor.


	11. Resurrection

**Author's Note:** Written for the 'Gift' prompt at **_iy_wiltedrose_** [First place]

* * *

Beautiful darkness.

Then… light.

_What is happening to me?_

Kikyou moved her fingers experimentally, bringing them up to caress her face. Clay grated on clay.

_Feels so familiar. My face… my body._

Dimly, she became aware of sound.

"You see!" shrieked a voice. "The soul has been absorbed into the body!"

_My soul?_

Mixed sounds. A child's voice calling, now an old woman's.

_I live again._

Anger flared in the miko's heart.

_Who has forced me out of my peace?_

"I, Urasue, am your creator!"

Kikyou staggered forward on new legs towards the sound of the voice.

_Urasue…_

Her hands seized the demon and she released a burst of spiritual energy, purifying the creature into pieces. Kikyou felt the head thud softly to the ground at her bare feet.

"Not me…" it whispered. "I am your creator… I gave you life…"

_The gift of life? _

"That is no gift," hissed Kikyou under her breath. "To live again: that is a curse."

_Because of him. Inuyasha. Her lover. Her betrayer. _


	12. Cherry Blossoms

**Author's Note:** Written for the 'Spring' prompt at **_mirsan_fics_** [Second place]

* * *

Sango woke up early that morning with a start. Looking out the window, she smiled.

Spring was in the air again, she could smell the delicate fragrance of the cherry blossoms. The cherry tree Miroku had planted beside their home when the girls were born was heavy with the flowers, gently waving in the wind.

_Which reminds me…_

She smiled wryly; once upon a time, spring would have meant the re-emergence of certain youkai which hibernated during winter. Back in the demon slayers' village, Sango recalled being called out on jobs with her comrades when the cherry blossoms were out, exterminating bear youkai destroying people's homes in search of food after the long winter.

Now she had hung up her Hiraikotsu, spring brought to mind other more mundane things; time to restock the food supplies, send Miroku out to cut more firewood, make new clothes for her family for the spring festival…

Sango sighed. It seemed that being a wife and mother was more work than being a demon slayer. Idly, she wondered how her own mother had coped.

A small sound from inside alerted her.

"Shhh," she murmured, going over to pick her son up. "Are you awake? Shall we go and greet the spring together?"

The larger form under the blankets stirred.

"Hey," muttered a sleep-roughened voice. "Aren't you going to invite me?"

Sango laughed and leaned over to kiss her husband good morning. "The girls are still asleep. Why don't we wait for them to wake up?"

"Okaa-chan! Otou-chan!"

Laughing, Miroku scooped their daughters up, one to each arm. "I'll dress them. You take care of Satoshi."

Nodding, she bared her breast and began to feed him. As Sango knelt there, she watched him dress the girls, pretending to fumble as he tied the knots of their obi, making them squeal as they scolded him and tried to do it themselves.

It was just like him to fool around like that. She knew he was adept enough with the complicated knots of the women's obi, he had undone and done up hers many times before. The thought made her blush.

"Sango?"

He was ready, both girls riding on his shoulders as he looked down on her. "I'll take the girls out first."

"Fine, we'll be ready in a while."

She put Satoshi down on the futon, dressing herself with little fuss and strapping him on her back.

When she emerged from their hut, Sango was highly amused to find their daughters engaged in their favorite game; demon slaying.

"Die, demon!" yelled Haruko, prodding her father's leg with a stick.

"Yaaaaaa!" Emiko screeched like a demon herself as she launched herself at Miroku's chest. He pretended to choke, falling to the grass with both girls scrambling all over him, giggling as they continued their relentless assault with their twigs.

"Having fun?" called Sango jokingly, coming over to stand over her husband and daughters. He winked up at her.

"Would you like to join in, fair slayer? Although – " he gestured at the pair of giggling girls sitting on his chest " – there's not much room for you."

She smiled. "Come on, girls, you'll squash Otou-chan." Obediently they climbed off. They squealed suddenly as they caught sight of the cherry tree.

"Pretty!" Laughing, they dashed over to the base of the tree and stretched up their hands at the blossoms. Soon enough, a few flowers came down, blown by the wind and the twins ran after them.

Sango and Miroku watched their daughters play, identical smiles on their faces. They had been cooped up in the house too long during the long days of winter.

"I love spring," she commented, inhaling the crispness of the fresh air.

Miroku stooped, and tucked a cherry blossom behind her ear. "So do I," he whispered against her skin.


End file.
